Mersehead Recent Sightings 9th - 15th September
Although we have experienced a few showers and gentle breezes, we have been spoilt this week with some beautiful days, heavy early morning dews complimented with bright sunrises and a distinct change in temperature, autumn has definitely arrived. The changing colours around the reserve, and the surrounding hills are stunning.
After completing the cutting of vegetation & preparing for the winter, we have reinstated the sluice boards and our wetlands are filling with water. This week a kingfisher has been spotted on a number of occasions, taking advantage of freshly covered areas. We are also seeing a large number of geese arriving, although still just a little too early for Barnacles, we currently have well over 200 pink footed geese, and an increasing number of canada geese, resting out on the wetlands.
Flooded wetlands. photo credit: Jon Foot
Six white wagtails were spotted early in the week. White wagtails and pied wagtails are the same species of bird, however the white wagtail is the continental species and the pied wagtail is the British subspecies. Although very difficult to tell apart, the white wagtail has a pale grey back and sides, rather than that of the much darker pied wagtail. Habitat, voice and behaviour are all similar.
Red admiral. photo credit: Jon Foot
Butterflies have been abundance this week, enjoying the sunshine. We have had a particularly high number of red admirals congregating. On Tuesday we saw 16 all together, basking on the ramp up to our meida hide. Other species seen this week include green veined white, large white, small tortoiseshell, peacock, and a speckled wood. Our moth trap this week produced 2 brown spot pinion, 5 rosy rustic, 1 common rustic, 4 setaceous hebrew character, 3 small wainscot, 1 square spot rustic, 1 small rustic and 2 frosted orange.
Frosted orange moth. photo credit: Jon Foot
Setaceous hebrew character moth. photo credit: Jon Foot
Other sightings this week include linnet, stonechat, goldcrest, coal tit, greater spotted woodpecker, wheatear, reed bunting, stock doves, jay, sparrow hawk, buzzard & peregrine. A green sandpiper was spotted on a couple of occasions, once in front of our meida hide and again on the wetland in front of our visitor centre.
Jon Foot, Residential Volunteer
Lovely selection of photos. We were at Mersehead on 15th and 16th and it was beautiful. Lovely to see the geese and wildfowl returning too.
see my photos on Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggyn/